Vanessa Lindsay

I remember many years ago, I was searching for my first apartment. I wanted something special that I could call my own. While I was out apartment searching, I was shown this one particular apartment that although I didn't rent, it has stayed with me.

At the time, I thought the person who had lived there was extremely weird. On almost every surface in the apartment, there was a stickly note with a comment written on it. For example; On the mirror in the bathroom the note said "You're beautiful!", on one kitchen cupboard, the note read "You deserve it!". There must have been at least 100 yellow sticky notes all over the place!

At the time, I suppose I was too young to grasp the significance of these messages for the person who lived there. Since then, this apartment and the notes have always stayed with me and I have begun my own "note" system to help me stay focused and motivated in my Virtual Assistant business.

I have created a goal chart that I have placed on my desk to help me stay focused and achieve my goals. I am constantly viewing the chart and making changes or most importantly, checking my goals off as I achieve them! I also have a card from my mother that I have taped to my wall near my desk that reads the following:

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also DREAM not only plan, but also BELIEVE!"

Creating a personal motivation system can help you achieve your goals and dreams! What is your motivational system?

To Your Success,

Vanessa Lindsay

Real Estate Professional Assistant (REPA)

http://www.NessLindsay.com

Did an agent recently show one of your homes and you didn't have time to ask for feedback? If you can relate, you definitely need to contact Ness Lindsay today!

During the first week or two, it is important to gather as much feedback from prospective buyers as possible. Tallying this information and relaying it to your home seller will help determine what people like and dislike about the home. Utilizing this important information will determine if changes need to be made and if the price of the home is accurate.

Don't let another day pass by without providing this essential service to your home sellers!

To Your Success,

Vanessa Lindsay (REPA)

Http://www.NessLindsay.com

Gaining sellers in a competitive market can prove to be quite difficult especially, if your market materials are to par.

In addition to compelling marketing materials, sellers would be tempted to indulge in your services if you were to offer an attractive commission plan to them.

You may currently be losing business to other REALTORS ® who are offering a lower commission rate. Use a seller menu and present clients with the choice of services they want for their home at a commission acceptable to them.

Here is an example:

Creating a menu shows prospective clients that you're not just in real estate for the money but making sure your seller's needs are met. Implementing this marketing tool will give you that competitive edge to help you stand out in your local market.

In 2006, a study was conducted of 1272 French Canadians and their internet habits. The study found that 80% of users prefer Google as their search engine. 87% of people interviewed said they use the internet everyday. This number is pretty significant and further explains the importance of not only having a website, but one that can be found by prospective buyers!

Interestingly enough, in 2007, the National Association of REALTORS ® released a survey that revealed 73% of prospective buyers that saw a home on the internet drove by/viewed the home of interest. 57% of people, who viewed a home on-line, completed a walk through of the home.

It goes without saying being in the real estate industry, it is imperative to have a solid business foundation in all areas. 43% of buyers who found an agent were referred to by a friend, while 11% used an agent they worked with previously and 8% found an agent via the internet.

Having a top-notch website also means beating your competition for search results and showing up consistently on the first page for your targeted keywords. 15% of the French Canadian users interviewed don't bother looking at the second page of search results. 40% of the people, who do look at the second page, don't bother looking any further. Statistics show the top 3 results on a page get 60% of all traffic. Therefore, being on the second page of a search result basically means your business is non-existent!

With today's technology, the importance of having a presence in your local community as well as on the internet is so vital. Especially when 89% of agents have a website!

To Your Success,

Vanessa Lindsay (REPA)

http://www.NessLindsay.com

As a small business owner, you took a leap of faith and started your own business. Congrats! You also probably put a lot of blood shed and tears into your business to get you where you are today. Again, Congrats!

Let me ask you this: Do you know what your management style is? Do you know if you are or will be an effective manager? If you haven't thought of this already...YIKES! You probably should!

Check out these Top 10 Management Pitfalls:

1. Putting Policies ahead of people.

2. Lack of Communication.

3. Failing to hear what your employees have to say.

4. Not acknowledging that you don't have all the answers.

5. The glass is always half empty. (Focusing on the negative)

6. Not accepting responsibility.

7. Showing Favouritism

8. "Just do it" - failure to explain what needs to be done.

9. Too much technology. (Don't hide behind technology and lose your people skills)

10. Never change. (Not being open to change)

To read more about these top ten pitfalls, please visit http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/workforce-management/3997-1.html

To test your own Management style and discover where you can make adjustments, visit the links below. Remember it is better to be pro-active and learn now!

What's your Leadership Style?: http://www.computerworld.com/managementtopics/management/story/0,10801,98557,00.html

Think You're an Effective Manager?

http://www.cornerstones.net/quiz1.htm

Management Style Attitude Test:

http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/workforce-management/3997-1.html

To Your Success,

Vanessa Lindsay

Real Estate Professional Assistant (REPA)

Http://www.NessLindsay.com